Building a Mars Rover with LEGO Robotics

A rover is an automated motor vehicle that propels itself across the surface of a celestial body. A rover may examine territory and interesting features, analyze weather conditions, or even test materials, such as soil and water.

What does it take to go to Mars?

People have long been fascinated by Mars, the planet in our solar system that’s most like Earth. Uncrewed missions have sent orbiters, probes, and rovers to explore the planet since the 1960s, but what would it take to carry out a successful human mission to Mars?

Mission Mars Unit Overview

In this unit, your students will work as scientists and engineers. They’ll immerse themselves in motivating STEM activities that prompt creative problem-solving, communication, and exploration.

Mission: Activate Communications

Mars Mission : Activate Communications - Sprattronics

Mission: Vent Bot

VENT Bot Maze Mission - Sprattronics

Mission: Ice Collection

Mars Mission : Ice Collection Challenge - Sprattronics

Mission: Rocket Launcher

Lesson Video

Step by Step Build Directions

Mission: Supply your Base

Download this as a PDF to use in class or at home!

Today you are an engineer! Your mission is to design and build a robot rabbit that can move in a rabbit-like way. We’ll use the Engineering Design Process:

Challenge → Brainstorm → Design → Create → Test → Improve → Share

Real-World Context: In Florida’s Everglades, invasive Burmese pythons hurt native wildlife. Engineers experiment with “robot rabbits” to lure and safely capture pythons so scientists can protect other animals.
Your goal: Build a rabbit-like robot that shows realistic motion (hopping, moving forward, or “being interesting” to a predator) and can keep moving without falling apart.

Challenge

Deep in the Florida Everglades, something unusual is hopping into action. It’s not a real rabbit—it’s a robot bunny! And this little machine has a big job: helping scientists fight one of the Everglades’ most dangerous invaders, the Burmese python.

Why Pythons Are a Big Problem

Burmese pythons are not supposed to live in Florida. They came to the U.S. as pets in the 1970s, but some were released into the wild. By the 1980s, they were living and breeding in the Everglades.

These snakes are huge—some grow over 18 feet long—and they eat almost anything they can catch. That includes raccoons, rabbits, opossums, bobcats, and even deer.

Scientists found that in parts of the Everglades, mammal populations have dropped by more than 90%. For example, marsh rabbits, a favorite python snack, have nearly disappeared. With so many animals gone, the entire ecosystem is out of balance.

Today, there may be tens of thousands of Burmese pythons in Florida, and they’re spreading farther north each year.

The Idea of Robot Rabbits

To stop the pythons, researchers at the University of Florida came up with a creative plan: build fake rabbits that trick the snakes.

These aren’t ordinary toys. Each robo-bunny is stuffed with special electronics:

• Motors to make it move and hop.
• Heaters to give it the same warm body temperature as a real rabbit.
• Cameras and sensors to alert scientists when a python comes close.
• Solar panels so they can recharge in the Florida sun.

From far away, they look just like marsh rabbits—the kind pythons love to eat.

When a python slithers near, the robot alerts the research team. The hope is that the snakes can then be caught before they eat more of Florida’s wildlife.

Why Not Use Real Rabbits?

Scientists tried that years ago. They placed live rabbits in pens, and pythons showed up almost every week. But caring for live animals across the huge Everglades was too difficult and not very kind to the rabbits.

The robo-bunnies solve that problem. They can survive in water, mud, and rain, and they don’t need food or care. Some researchers are even testing if adding rabbit scent will make the robots more convincing.

Other Ways Florida Fights Pythons

Robot rabbits aren’t the only strategy. Florida has tried many ways to reduce the python population, including:

• Hiring expert hunters, even bringing in snake catchers from India.
• Holding the Florida Python Challenge, a yearly event where hunters compete for cash prizes by capturing snakes.
• Paying full-time hunters who get bonuses for catching longer snakes. Since 2019, hunters have removed more than 15,000 pythons.

Even with these efforts, the snakes are still winning. That’s why scientists are excited to try bold ideas—like robo-bunnies.

Could Robo-Bunnies Save the Day?

The project is still in its early stages. Right now, scientists are testing 40 robo-bunnies in different areas of South Florida. If they work, they could help hunters find more pythons, faster, and bring back balance to the Everglades.

It may sound a little silly to fight giant snakes with toy rabbits. But sometimes, solving big problems requires small, creative solutions.

As one scientist put it: “After 10 years of studying the problem, you don’t just want to watch it happen—you want to do something.”

And maybe, just maybe, robo-bunnies are the heroes the Everglades have been waiting for.

Brainstorm

Come up with ideas on how to solve the problem.

List or sketch 3 different features that are important to include with our robot.

Parts or mechanisms we might try (check any):
☐ Legs with hinges ☐ Wheels as “feet” ☐ Cams/lifters ☐ Rubber band power
☐ Gear train ☐ Counterweights ☐ Tail/ears for balance

Design

Sketch out your robot plan. What parts do you think you will need to make your rabbit a reality?

Create

Build your robot using the materials you have. You can build a robot rabbit using a LEGO Spike Essential Kit, a LEGO Spike Prime Kit, or just LEGOs you have with you.

Build checklist:
☐ Frame is sturdy
☐ Moving parts don’t jam
☐ Battery/motor (if used) is secured
☐ Nothing sharp or loose

Test

Try out your LEGO Robot to see if it works.

Mark a start line and a goal line. Clear the path.

Run your trials and record results:

Trial	Went Straight? (Y/N)	Distance (cm)	Stayed Together? (Y/N)	Notes
1
2
3

Did it meet your success criteria?
☐ Yes  ☐ Not yet

Improve

Make changes to make your robot rabbit work better.

What didn’t work the way we wanted?

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Change we will try:

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Why we think it will help:

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Re-test results (pick one):
☐ Better ☐ Same ☐ Worse

Our robot did not hop correctly. We changed our code to make it hop in a more bunny-like manner. Another problem we faced was that the snakes hunt by temperature and scent detection. Adding a "Hot Hands" and some rabbit spray to our bot, it made the snake more likely to approach.

Share

Name of our robot rabbit: _______________________________________

How it works (in one or two sentences):

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What we’re proud of: _____________________________________________

What we would try next time: ______________________________________

Share your robot in the comments on our YouTube page!

Reflection (Optional)

One thing I learned about engineering: ______________________________

One thing I learned about invasive species: __________________________

A new idea I want to try: __________________________________________

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Quick Checklist

☐ I completed all 7 steps
☐ I tested at least 3 times
☐ I improved my design
☐ I can explain how my robot works

Want to make your LEGO Spike Prime robot turn perfectly every time? Whether you're preparing for FIRST LEGO League or just want to build better bots, this step-by-step guide will help you fine-tune your robot’s turning using real data and the built-in Yaw sensor.

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🔍 What You’ll Learn

• What a Yaw sensor is and how it works
• How to apply the Scientific Method to robot programming
• Why robots overshoot turn angles at higher power levels
• How to calculate and apply a correction offset
• How to build smarter, more reliable turning code using My Blocks

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🎥 Watch the Full Tutorial

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🧭 What Is Yaw and Why Does It Matter?

Yaw measures your robot's rotation around the vertical axis—basically, how much it's turned left or right. The LEGO Spike Prime Hub tracks yaw from -180° to 179°, making it perfect for turn-based navigation.

But there's a catch: as motor power increases, so does inertia—which means your robot often overshoots the desired angle.

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🔬 The Scientific Method for Better Turns

Here’s how we used the Scientific Method:

1. Ask a Question: Why does our robot overshoot 90° turns at higher power?
2. Form a Hypothesis: Higher power = more overshoot.
3. Conduct an Experiment:
   • Turn to 90° using different power levels (20%, 30%, 40%, 50%)
   • Run 5+ trials at each level
   • Record the actual stopping angle
4. Analyze Results:
   • Calculate average overshoot
   • Determine offset needed for accuracy
5. Apply & Test:
   • Modify your code to stop before the target angle
   • Improve My Block logic to factor in speed-based offset

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📊 Example Data Table

Power %	Target Angle	Actual Avg. Angle	Offset Required
20%	90°	92°	-2°
40%	90°	97°	-7°
50%	90°	100°	-10°

Use this data to adjust your wait-until yaw angle block by subtracting the correct offset.

This is the code we will be modifying for the experiment.

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🧱 Build a Smarter My Block

Create a custom My Block called YawTurn. It should:

• Take input: angle,
• Reset yaw
• Estimate the offset based on power
• Subtract offset from target angle
• Wait until yaw = corrected angle

This makes your robot modular, reusable, and competition-ready.

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✅ Why This Works for FLL and Classroom Robots

By controlling your turns with this method:

• You’ll score higher in the Robot Game
• Your robot will navigate missions with confidence
• You’ll teach students real scientific inquiry through robotics

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📥 Get the Lesson PDF + Sample Code

Download:

• [✅ PDF Lesson Plan for Educators ]
• [🔗 Spike Prime Leson on MyBlocks]

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🔑 Learning Targets

• How to improve LEGO Spike Prime robot turns
• LEGO Spike Prime turn accuracy
• Use yaw sensor LEGO robot
• FLL robot turn programming
• Yaw offset LEGO robotics

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💬 Leave a Comment or Question

Have questions about your robot's turns? Drop them in the YouTube comments or email us directly!

About Preston Spratt your Robotics Instructor

Preston Spratt started Sprattronics to provide children with incredible learning opportunities. As a school principal, he has specialized in bringing project-based learning into schools. Sprattronics is a place for children to learn about the things that interest them and solve problems that excite them.

Parents should have a choice of what their children are learning, and that it can happen in a safe and welcoming environment. At Sprattronics, Greenville, South Carolina, we focus on children making discoveries and encourage them to explore the things that interest them.

This blog post is available in video format on YouTube.

Introduction

If you’re a DJI drone operator, you may have noticed a major change recently. Just days after we released a video on how to geo-unlock your DJI drone, DJI announced that they’ve lifted geofencing restrictions across the United States. This is a significant shift aimed at aligning their systems more closely with FAA guidelines and ensuring that responsibility for compliance falls squarely on the pilot.

So, what does this mean for drone enthusiasts? Essentially, DJI drones now allow you to take off and fly almost anywhere, within technical limitations. However, this newfound freedom doesn’t absolve you of responsibility—you’ll still face the consequences if you break FAA regulations.

In this post, we’ll cover:

1. What the change to DJI’s maps looks like.
2. How to ensure you’re still flying legally and responsibly.
3. Real-world examples of what happens when drone pilots push the boundaries and get into trouble with the FAA.

Let’s dive in.

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How the Maps Have Changed

Until January 13, 2025, DJI’s maps were layered with multiple types of flight restrictions. For example, a single location—like your local park—might fall into multiple restricted zones, including:

• Authorization Zones: These appeared in blue and required pilots to unlock them using a verified DJI account.
• Altitude Zones: Gray areas on the map where flight height was limited, such as near airports.
• Warning Zones: These zones triggered warnings in the DJI app but didn’t necessarily prevent flights.
• Enhanced Warning Zones: These zones required users to unlock them in-app but didn’t need a verified account or internet connection.
• Restricted Zones: These red zones completely prohibited flight unless special permission was granted by DJI through an online unlocking request.

For instance, at my local park, I used to deal with an authorization zone, a 196-ft altitude limit zone, an enhanced warning zone, and a general warning zone. We had to get LAANC approval to fly and submit a DJO Geo Unlock request just take off in an area where the FAA says we can fly up to 400 feet.

Now, with geofencing removed, DJI no longer enforces these zones, meaning your drone will no longer prevent you from taking off or flying through these areas. Instead, it’s now entirely your responsibility to comply with FAA airspace rules.

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How to Load the New Maps on DJI Fly

Update the DJI FlySafe Database

Make sure your drone and app are running the latest firmware and database updates. This will ensure the map reflects the new geofencing changes.

You can do this by clicking PROFILE --> Settings --> Check for FlySafe Database Updates

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Use FAA Approved Apps

We love AutoPylot. It is B4UFly approved, has up-to-date FAA maps and restrictions, and allows for instant LAANC approvals.

Five Ways to Get in Trouble with the FAA

While the removal of DJI’s geofencing simplifies flying, it’s crucial to stay within FAA regulations. Here are five ways to land yourself in hot water:

1. Flying in Restricted Airspace

Just because DJI won’t stop you doesn’t mean you can ignore airspace restrictions. Flying near airports, military bases, or in prohibited zones without prior FAA authorization can result in hefty fines.

2. Flying Without the Correct Certification

If you’re flying recreationally, you need to pass the TRUST test (The Recreational UAS Safety Test). For commercial use, you must hold a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Operating without the appropriate credentials can lead to penalties.

3. Flying Over People

FAA rules prohibit flying drones directly over people unless specific waivers or safety conditions are met. This is especially critical in populated areas or events.

4. Not Yielding to Manned Aircraft

Drones must always give way to manned aircraft. Failing to yield to planes, helicopters, or emergency response aircraft could result in severe penalties and risks to safety.

5. Flying Above 400 Feet

The FAA’s maximum altitude for drones is 400 feet above ground level (AGL) in most areas. Exceeding this limit can interfere with manned aviation and result in fines or other legal action.

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Final Thoughts

The removal of DJI’s geofencing system represents a shift in responsibility from the drone manufacturer to the pilot. While this change offers greater freedom, it also means that you must be diligent about understanding and following FAA regulations.

Before taking off, make sure you:

• Use apps like AutoPylot to check for airspace restrictions.
• Stay under 400 feet.
• Avoid flying over people or in restricted areas.
• Keep your certifications up to date.

Flying a drone can be an incredible hobby or a valuable tool for commercial work—but with great power comes great responsibility. By following the rules and respecting airspace, you can ensure your flights are safe, legal, and trouble-free.

Education is not one size fits all. Families and children all need different things in order to maximize their potential. An excellent option for families wanting more control of their child's learning is virtual school.

The quality of your teacher and school has a direct effect on the outcomes that your child will achieve. Everyone should have access to an excellent teacher, but that is not always the case. With virtual schools you have other options than just the teacher that your child is zoned for. If they are not enjoying school, class, or the time frame of 7AM to 2PM, virtual school could be a great option for you.

With virtual learning you have access to high-quality teachers working with a wide range of curriculums. Many virtual schools offer a more personalized learning path for students, that is flexible to work around your schedule. As a parent, you have school options of what curriculum your child will follow.

A challenge with virtual learning, can be the lack of collaboration and in-person social skills. Families may have to wildly adjust their schedules to allow for supervision of children at home. With virtual school, many only offer an all or nothing approach.

Preston Spratt designed Sprattronics Learning Lab to provide families more education options for their child. We work alongside virtual and in-person school to provide enrichment and hands-on learning. Students at Sprattronics Learning Lab collaborate with other children, build, and solve problems. Families have the flexibility to drop their child off anytime for up to three hours.

Virtual School Options for Greenville

Greenville County Schools - Full Virtual 

In 2021-2022 about two thousand students attended K - 8 in GCS Virtual School. The number will be about one thousand in 2022-2023.

Students will stay enrolled in their assigned school but be taught virtually. Students will receive schedules just like they do in the brick and mortar school. Most courses will be offered in the Virtual Program. If a course cannot be offered, parents will be notified prior to school starting so they can make an informed decision. Parents may request a move back to the brick and mortar school. The request will be accommodated if space is available.

Grades: K-12

Tuition: Free

Cyber Academy of South Carolina

Since 2000, Stride K12 has been a leader in K–12 online education, putting quality hands-on and online curriculum directly into the homes of the students and families. Stride K12 offers multiple programs, including tuition-free public online schools, tuition-based online private schools, and individual online courses.

Grades: K-12

Tuition: Free

South Carolina Connections Academy

Our tuition-free online public school offers students in grades K–12 a safe, engaging environment where they can learn in the way that works best for them. Not only will your child gain the knowledge and confidence they need for assessments like the SC PASS, they’ll build the social, emotional and real-world skills they need to meet tomorrow’s challenges. And, as their learning coach, you’ll be by their side, supporting them along the way.

Grades: K-12

Tuition: Free

K12 Private Academy

K12 Private Academy worked with top educators, designers, and cognitive scientists to create a unique online private school platform that drives learning through engagement. Each grade level is thoughtfully designed to promote learning, engage students, and entice their creativity and critical thought. The methodology for online learning incorporates interactive content and expansive multimedia.

Grades: K-12

Tuition: $5,000 - $7,000 / annual

Prisma

https://www.joinprisma.com/

Prisma is an innovative online school for 4-8th graders who want an education tailored to their interests, abilities, and goals for the future. As a comprehensive full-time virtual program, Prisma reimagines school, providing kids the flexibility to pursue their interests alongside a talented coach and a supportive community of peers. Families must register as homeschoolers.

Grades: 4-8

Tuition: $8,800 / annual

FaithPrep

https://www.faithprepindiana.com/

Tuition-based, online private school for grades K–12 open to students nationwide.  We help students pursue academic excellence, develop Christian character, and discover their gifts, talents, and purpose to follow God’s calling in life.

Grades K-12

Tuition: $6,400 - $7,400 / annual

VLACS - Virtual Learning Academy

https://vlacs.org/

The Virtual Learning Academy is education designed to be online. We are a virtual school for elementary, middle, high school, and adult learners to earn a degree, earn some credits, explore an interest, or gain valuable career credentials.

Grades K-12

Tuition: $1,000+ / annual

The Keystone School

https://www.keystoneschoolonline.com/

If your family  is seeking an alternative education program, Keystone can provide a unique learning environment and flexible online courses that meet your student where they are. At Keystone, we offer full-time programs for elementary, middle, and high school students. 

Students can ignite an early love of learning that combines high-quality, accredited curriculum with online learning methodology that keeps them engaged and interested.

Grades K-12

Tuition: $2,375 - $2,800 / annual

Sora School

https://soraschools.com/

Sora Schools is an accredited, innovative school for grades 7-12 that lets students drive their learning and curriculum based on their interests. They explore the world around them through unique project-based Learning Expeditions like "The Science of Marvel," "Revolt! Comparing Historical Revolutions," "Banned Books," and more.

Grades 7-12

Tuition: $3,600 - $12,000 / annual

Guidepost Montessori Virtual School

https://www.guidepostmontessori.com/virtual-school

Guidepost Montessori Virtual School is an online education program that provides structured, daily instruction delivered by certified Montessori guides online. With small mixed-age, virtual classrooms, Guidepost Montessori is able to personalize education. Tuition includes quarterly shipments of Montessori materials for offline, hands-on learning.

Ages: 2 - 12

Tuition: $1,200 / annual